Umbrella.



No. 636,936. Patented Nov. l4; I899. C. WORRING 81-. A. KORTENBACH.

UMBRELLA.

(No Model.)

"wrsm' I J 63 (mi.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFicE.

. CARL WORRING AND AUGUST KORTENBACH, OF WEYER, GERMANY.

UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,936, dated November 14, 1899.

- Application filed December 28, 1897. Serial No. 664,127. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL WORRING and AUGUST KORTENBACH, citizens of the Empire of Germany, residing at Weyer, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

With the hitherto-known umbrellas opening automatically the spring which gives the necessary impulse for the opening of the umbrella is placed in the runner or in the stick, or it is fixed around the stick. Owing to this kind of construction the parts are somewhat complicated, comparatively heavy, and when shut the umbrella has a bulky appearance. The present fashion, on the contrary, necessitates thin, light, and easy-opening umbrellas. These qualities are found in the new construction which forms the subject of the present invention. (Represented by Figures 1 to 3 of the annexed drawings.) I

Fig. l is an open View of an umbrella provided with our improvement and showing in dotted lines the nearly-shut position. Fig. 2 shows the shut position of the umbrella, and Fig. 3 shows the runner and the mode of connection of the springs.

In the runner a, below the joining-point a of the stretchers b, a second joining-point a is arranged, to which springs are fixed,. in preference spiral springs 0, connected, on the other hand, with the hinge pegs b, joining the stretchers b to the ribs d. These springs are arranged in such a way that when the umbrella is open they are still slightly stretched. When the runner a is drawn downward to shut the umbrella, the spiral springs c, which are movable between the runner a and the stretchers b and ribs 01, constantly stretch (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1)that is to say, proportionally with the gradual diminution of the angle formed by the stick e and thespiral spring cand the hinges b are brought toward the stick e, 'while therunner on descends more and more. In the shut position,

Fig. 2, where the angle w is almost naught, the spiral springs c consequently bear the greatest strain and are placed, by making use of stretchers of U-shaped section or any similar shape, in the hollows of these stretchers. This shut position is thus obtained by a catch f. As soon as this catch is disena great-solidity, while in its shut position the spiral springs c, fixed in the stretchers,are not'in the least detrimental to y the elegance and lightness of the umbrella, and they form the simplest construction imaginable.

The open position may usefully be chosen at such a height that the dead-point surpasses the stretchers b to dispose of the great est possible free space in the interior of the umbrella when it is open. to arrive at this result the number of spiral springs c is out of consideration, and they can be connected on the outside to any point of the stretcher b or in proximity of the hinge b, with the ribs (:1, or jointed pieces may be intercalated as intermediary pieces. The connecting-point a of the springs may also be differently arranged.

In the present case the interior point of connection of the spiral springs cis made with a ring fastened to the runner a, the shoulder of which is provided with radial slits, and a groove in whicha steel-wire ring is-fixed, upon which the spiral springs are slipped.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the ribs, stretchers, runner, runner-catch and stickof an um-' brella, a series of springs extending radially from the'runner to the above-mentioned eX- panding parts, these springs being connected at their inner ends to the said-runner and at their outer ends to the said stretchers, said springs being the'reby arranged to be put under tension by the downward motion of the runner and in consequence to automatic-. ally open the umbrella on the releasing of the said runner from the catch, substantially as set forth. V

2. In a self-opening umbrella the combination of the umbrella-stick 6, runner a-and runner-catch f, with the stretchers b, ribs d,

and the springs c, the said springs being attached t0 the said runner and also to the points of attachment of the said stretchers to the said ribs, and arranged to be slightly under tension while the umbrella is open, but to have this tension greatly increased by the closing of the umbrella, in order that on the freeing of the said runner from the said catch,

the resilience of the said springs may automatioally open the umbrella, substantially as 10 set forth.

CARL WORKING. AUGUST KORTENBACH. WVitnesses:

- WILH. HOMBARD,

WALTER HOMBARD. 

